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Twenty-four
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Twenty-four
We were back again in the nightmare.
That is what I thought as Taverner and I drove out of London. It was arepetition of our former journey.
At intervals1, Taverner swore.
As for me, I repeated from time to time, stupidly, unprofitably: “So itwasn’t Brenda and Laurence. It wasn’t Brenda and Laurence.”
Had I really thought it was? I had been so glad to think it. So glad to es-cape from other, more sinister2, possibilities….
They had fallen in love with each other. They had written silly senti-mental romantic letters to each other. They had indulged in hopes thatBrenda’s old husband might soon die peacefully and happily — but Iwondered really if they had even acutely desired his death. I had a feelingthat the despairs and longings3 of an unhappy love affair suited them aswell or better than commonplace married life together. I didn’t thinkBrenda was really passionate4. She was too anaemic, too apathetic5. It wasromance she craved6 for. And I thought Laurence, too, was the type to en-joy frustration7 and vague future dreams of bliss8 rather than the concretesatisfaction of the flesh.
They had been caught in a trap and, terrified, they had not had the witto find their way out. Laurence, with incredible stupidity, had not evendestroyed Brenda’s letters. Presumably Brenda had destroyed his, sincethey had not been found. And it was not Laurence who had balanced themarble doorstop on the washhouse door. It was someone else whose facewas still hidden behind a mask.
We drove up to the door. Taverner got out and I followed him. Therewas a plain clothes man in the hall whom I didn’t know. He saluted9 Tav-erner and Taverner drew him aside.
My attention was taken by a pile of luggage in the hall. It was labelledand ready for departure. As I looked at it Clemency10 came down the stairsand through the open door at the bottom. She was dressed in her same reddress with a tweed coat over it and a red felt hat.
“You’re in time to say goodbye, Charles,” she said.
“You’re leaving?”
“We go to London tonight. Our plane goes early tomorrow morning.”
She was quiet and smiling, but I thought her eyes were watchful11.
“But surely you can’t go now?”
“Why not?” Her voice was hard.
“With this death—”
“Nannie’s death has nothing to do with us.”
“Perhaps not. But all the same—”
“Why do you say ‘perhaps not’? It has nothing to do with us. Roger and Ihave been upstairs, finishing packing up. We did not come down at allduring the time that the cocoa was left on the hall table.”
“Can you prove that?”
“I can answer for Roger. And Roger can answer for me.”
“No more than that … You’re man and wife, remember.”
Her anger flamed out.
“You’re impossible, Charles! Roger and I are going away—to lead ourown life. Why on earth should we want to poison a nice stupid old womanwho had never done us any harm?”
“It mightn’t have been her you meant to poison.”
“Still less are we likely to poison a child.”
“It depends rather on the child, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Josephine isn’t quite the ordinary child. She knows a good deal aboutpeople. She—”
I broke off. Josephine had emerged from the door leading to the draw-ing room. She was eating the inevitable12 apple, and over its round rosinessher eyes sparkled with a kind of ghoulish enjoyment13.
“Nannie’s been poisoned,” she said. “Just like grandfather. It’s awfullyexciting, isn’t it?”
“Aren’t you at all upset about it?” I demanded severely14. “You were fondof her, weren’t you?”
“Not particularly. She was always scolding me about something orother. She fussed.”
“Are you fond of anybody, Josephine?” asked Clemency.
Josephine turned her ghoulish eyes towards Clemency.
“I love Aunt Edith,” she said. “I love Aunt Edith very much. And I couldlove Eustace, only he’s always such a beast to me and won’t be interestedin finding out who did all this.”
“You’d better stop finding things out, Josephine,” I said. “It isn’t verysafe.”
“I don’t need to find out any more,” said Josephine. “I know.”
There was a moment’s silence. Josephine’s eyes, solemn and unwinking,were fixed15 on Clemency. A sound like a long sigh reached my ears. Iswung sharply round. Edith de Haviland stood halfway16 down the staircase—but I did not think it was she who had sighed. The sound had come frombehind the door through which Josephine had just come.
I stepped sharply across to it and yanked it open. There was no one to beseen.
Nevertheless I was seriously disturbed. Someone had stood just withinthat door and had heard those words of Josephine’s. I went back and tookJosephine by the arm. She was eating her apple and staring stolidly17 atClemency. Behind the solemnity there was, I thought, a certain malignantsatisfaction.
“Come on, Josephine,” I said. “We’re going to have a little talk.”
I think Josephine might have protested, but I was not standing18 any non-sense. I ran her along forcibly into her own part of the house. There was asmall unused morning room where we could be reasonably sure of beingundisturbed. I took her in there, closed the door firmly, and made her siton a chair. I took another chair and drew it forward so that I faced her.
“Now, Josephine,” I said, “we’re going to have a showdown. What exactlydo you know?”
“Lots of things.”
“That I have no doubt about. That noddle of yours is probably crammedto overflowing19 with relevant and irrelevant20 information. But you knowperfectly what I mean. Don’t you?”
“Of course I do. I’m not stupid.”
I didn’t know whether the disparagement21 was for me or the police, but Ipaid no attention to it and went on:
“You know who put something in your cocoa?”
Josephine nodded.
“You know who poisoned your grandfather?”
Josephine nodded again.
“And who knocked you on the head?”
Again Josephine nodded.
“Then you’re going to come across with what you know. You’re going totell me all about it—now.”
“Shan’t.”
“You’ve got to. Every bit of information you’ve got or ferret out has gotto be given to the police.”
“I won’t tell the police anything. They’re stupid. They thought Brendahad done it—or Laurence. I wasn’t stupid like that. I knew jolly well theyhadn’t done it. I’ve had an idea who it was all along, and then I made akind of test—and now I know I’m right.”
She finished on a triumphant22 note.
I prayed to Heaven for patience and started again.
“Listen, Josephine, I dare say you’re extremely clever —” Josephinelooked gratified. “But it won’t be much good to you to be clever if you’renot alive to enjoy the fact. Don’t you see, you little fool, that as long as youkeep your secrets in this silly way you’re in imminent23 danger?”
Josephine nodded approvingly. “Of course I am.”
“Already you’ve had two very narrow escapes. One attempt nearly didfor you. The other has cost somebody else their life. Don’t you see if you goon strutting24 about the house and proclaiming at the top of your voice thatyou know who the killer25 is, there will be more attempts made—and thateither you’ll die or somebody else will?”
“In some books person after person is killed,” Josephine informed mewith gusto. “You end by spotting the murderer because he or she is prac-tically the only person left.”
“This isn’t a detective story. This is Three Gables, Swinly Dean, andyou’re a silly little girl who’s read more than is good for her. I’ll make youtell me what you know if I have to shake you till your teeth rattle26.”
“I could always tell you something that wasn’t true.”
“You could, but you won’t. What are you waiting for, anyway?”
“You don’t understand,” said Josephine. “Perhaps I may never tell. Yousee, I might—be fond of the person.”
She paused as though to let this sink in.
“And if I do tell,” she went on, “I shall do it properly. I shall have every-body sitting round, and then I’ll go over it all—with the clues, and then Ishall say, quite suddenly:
“‘And it was you…’”
She thrust out a dramatic forefinger27 just as Edith de Haviland enteredthe room.
“Put that core in the wastepaper basket, Josephine,” said Edith. “Haveyou got a handkerchief? Your fingers are sticky. I’m taking you out in thecar.” Her eyes met mine with significance as she said: “You’ll be safer outhere for the next hour or so.” As Josephine looked mutinous28, Edith added:
“We’ll go into Longbridge and have an ice cream soda29.”
Josephine’s eyes brightened and she said: “Two.”
“Perhaps,” said Edith. “Now go and get your hat and coat on and yourdark blue scarf. It’s cold out today. Charles, you had better go with herwhile she gets them. Don’t leave her. I have just a couple of notes towrite.”
She sat down at the desk, and I escorted Josephine out of the room. Evenwithout Edith’s warning, I would have stuck to Josephine like a leech30.
I was convinced that there was danger to the child very near at hand.
As I finished superintending Josephine’s toilet, Sophia came into theroom. She seemed rather astonished to see me.
“Why, Charles, have you turned nursemaid? I didn’t know you werehere.”
“I’m going in to Longbridge with Aunt Edith,” said Josephine import-antly. “We’re going to have ice creams.”
“Brrr, on a day like this?”
“Ice cream sodas31 are always lovely,” said Josephine. “When you’re coldinside, it makes you feel hotter outside.”
Sophia frowned. She looked worried, and I was shocked by her pallorand the circles under her eyes.
We went back to the morning room. Edith was just blotting32 a couple ofenvelopes. She got up briskly.
“We’ll start now,” she said. “I told Evans to bring round the Ford33.”
She swept out to the hall. We followed her.
My eye was again caught by the suitcases and their blue labels. Forsome reason they aroused in me a vague disquietude.
“It’s quite a nice day,” said Edith de Haviland, pulling on her gloves andglancing up at the sky. The Ford Ten was waiting in front of the house.
“Cold—but bracing34. A real English autumn day. How beautiful trees lookwith their bare branches against the sky—and just a golden leaf or twostill hanging….”
She was silent a moment or two, then she turned and kissed Sophia.
“Goodbye, dear,” she said. “Don’t worry too much. Certain things haveto be faced and endured.”
Then she said, “Come, Josephine,” and got into the car. Josephineclimbed in beside her.
They both waved as the car drove off.
“I suppose she’s right, and it’s better to keep Josephine out of this for awhile. But we’ve got to make that child tell what she knows, Sophia.”
“She probably doesn’t know anything. She’s just showing off. Josephinelikes to make herself look important, you know.”
“It’s more than that. Do they know what poison it was in the cocoa?”
“They think it’s digitalin. Aunt Edith takes digitalin for her heart. Shehas a whole bottle full of little tablets up in her room. Now the bottle’sempty.”
“She ought to keep things like that locked up.”
“She did. I suppose it wouldn’t be difficult for someone to find out whereshe hid the key.”
“Someone? Who?” I looked again at the pile of luggage. I said suddenlyand loudly:
“They can’t go away. They mustn’t be allowed to.”
Sophia looked surprised.
“Roger and Clemency? Charles, you don’t think—”
“Well, what do you think?”
Sophia stretched out her hands in a helpless gesture.
“I don’t know, Charles,” she whispered. “I only know that I’m back—back in the nightmare—”
“I know. Those were the very words I used to myself as I drove downwith Taverner.”
“Because this is just what a nightmare is. Walking about among peopleyou know, looking in their faces—and suddenly the faces change—and it’snot someone you know any longer—it’s a stranger—a cruel stranger….”
She cried:
“Come outside, Charles—come outside. It’s safer outside … I’m afraid tostay in this house….”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 intervals f46c9d8b430e8c86dea610ec56b7cbef     
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息
参考例句:
  • The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴,有阵雨。
  • Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。
2 sinister 6ETz6     
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的
参考例句:
  • There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
  • Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值,而且包藏祸心。
3 longings 093806503fd3e66647eab74915c055e7     
渴望,盼望( longing的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Ah, those foolish days of noble longings and of noble strivings! 啊,那些充满高贵憧憬和高尚奋斗的傻乎乎的时光!
  • I paint you and fashion you ever with my love longings. 我永远用爱恋的渴想来描画你。
4 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
5 apathetic 4M1y0     
adj.冷漠的,无动于衷的
参考例句:
  • I realised I was becoming increasingly depressed and apathetic.我意识到自己越来越消沉、越来越冷漠了。
  • You won't succeed if you are apathetic.要是你冷淡,你就不能成功。
6 craved e690825cc0ddd1a25d222b7a89ee7595     
渴望,热望( crave的过去式 ); 恳求,请求
参考例句:
  • She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。
  • A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。
7 frustration 4hTxj     
n.挫折,失败,失效,落空
参考例句:
  • He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
  • He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
8 bliss JtXz4     
n.狂喜,福佑,天赐的福
参考例句:
  • It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
  • He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴,因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。
9 saluted 1a86aa8dabc06746471537634e1a215f     
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂
参考例句:
  • The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
  • He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 clemency qVnyV     
n.温和,仁慈,宽厚
参考例句:
  • The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题,将由国王决定。
  • They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。
11 watchful tH9yX     
adj.注意的,警惕的
参考例句:
  • The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
  • It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。
12 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
参考例句:
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
13 enjoyment opaxV     
n.乐趣;享有;享用
参考例句:
  • Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同,我们这次访问更加愉快了。
  • After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话,这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。
14 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
15 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
16 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
17 stolidly 3d5f42d464d711b8c0c9ea4ca88895e6     
adv.迟钝地,神经麻木地
参考例句:
  • Too often people sat stolidly watching the noisy little fiddler. 人们往往不动声色地坐在那里,瞧着这位瘦小的提琴手闹腾一番。 来自辞典例句
  • He dropped into a chair and sat looking stolidly at the floor. 他坐在椅子上,两眼呆呆地望着地板。 来自辞典例句
18 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
19 overflowing df84dc195bce4a8f55eb873daf61b924     
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
  • The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。
20 irrelevant ZkGy6     
adj.不恰当的,无关系的,不相干的
参考例句:
  • That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
  • A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上,一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。
21 disparagement dafe893b656fbd57b9a512d2744fd14a     
n.轻视,轻蔑
参考例句:
  • He was humble and meek, filled with self-disparagement and abasement. 他谦卑、恭顺,满怀自我贬斥与压抑。 来自互联网
  • Faint praise is disparagement. 敷衍勉强的恭维等于轻蔑。 来自互联网
22 triumphant JpQys     
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的
参考例句:
  • The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
  • There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。
23 imminent zc9z2     
adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的
参考例句:
  • The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
  • The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。
24 strutting 2a28bf7fb89b582054410bf3c6bbde1a     
加固,支撑物
参考例句:
  • He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle. 他也是非常自大,在城堡里大摇大摆地走。
  • The pompous lecturer is strutting and forth across the stage. 这个演讲者在台上趾高气扬地来回走着。
25 killer rpLziK     
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者
参考例句:
  • Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
  • The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
26 rattle 5Alzb     
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
参考例句:
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
27 forefinger pihxt     
n.食指
参考例句:
  • He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
  • He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。
28 mutinous GF4xA     
adj.叛变的,反抗的;adv.反抗地,叛变地;n.反抗,叛变
参考例句:
  • The mutinous sailors took control of the ship.反叛的水手们接管了那艘船。
  • His own army,stung by defeats,is mutinous.经历失败的痛楚后,他所率军队出现反叛情绪。
29 soda cr3ye     
n.苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
  • I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
30 leech Z9UzB     
n.水蛭,吸血鬼,榨取他人利益的人;vt.以水蛭吸血;vi.依附于别人
参考例句:
  • A leech is a small blood-sucking worm and usually lives in water.水蛭是一种小型吸血虫,通常生活在水中。
  • One-side love like a greedy leech absorbed my time and my mirth.单相思如同一只贪婪的水蛭,吸走了我的时间和欢笑。
31 sodas c10ddd4eedc33e2ce63fa8dfafd61880     
n.苏打( soda的名词复数 );碱;苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • There are plenty of sodas in the refrigerator. 冰箱里有很多碳酸饮料。 来自辞典例句
  • Two whisky and sodas, please. 请来两杯威士忌苏打。 来自辞典例句
32 blotting 82f88882eee24a4d34af56be69fee506     
吸墨水纸
参考例句:
  • Water will permeate blotting paper. 水能渗透吸水纸。
  • One dab with blotting-paper and the ink was dry. 用吸墨纸轻轻按了一下,墨水就乾了。
33 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
34 bracing oxQzcw     
adj.令人振奋的
参考例句:
  • The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
  • The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。


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